Snakes and Ladders
by Evil-Little-Leprechaun
Summary: First Class, OCs. A simple recruitment goes awry. Appearances can be deceiving. Everything will change.


A P P R O X I M A T E L Y F I V E M I N U T E S E A R L I E R

It was a huge risk, he knew; but it was his only chance of getting his cousin back.

The mutant gritted his teeth and kept his head down as he walked, flanked by a cold blonde woman and that man. Though he couldn't see her, he knew his backup was nearby. It was thanks to her that his mind – and his plans – remained a secret to the telepath bitch beside him.

When he entered the hotel room, his heart seared with old pain.

_Leila... _He let out a breath he hadn't even been aware of holding.

That man gesticulated coldly, reminding the mutant that he was not the only one present with a claim. For nearly twenty years – years the mutant had spent mourning his family's death while desperately trying to survive himself in the war's aftermath - his cousin had been alive... if one could call it living.

All without his knowledge, until recently.

" Turn her back, Jakob. "

Though he'd saved her from the camps, that manhad given Leila a worse fate than death in the mutant's opinion. He'd made her forget her own family, her own identity.

Jakob was determined to make her remember.

He'd been fortunate to stumble across her before; now, the man and his telepath prostitute neededto bring them together. He had to take advantage of this opportunity. Jakob hesitatingly stepped forward, holding up a hand.

Cat-Leila became human-Leila. Both Jakob and the white-suited man drank in the sight

_About now would be a good time for intervention, Durga..._

Leila blinked and swayed on two legs, her blonde hair slightly dishevelled but otherwise none the worse for wear. Her wide blue eyes stared at Jakob with little recognition, at the white-suited man with considerably more.

" Leila. So nice to see your face again. Would you care to shake the hand of this fine young man here for turning you back? "

Neither of them were wearing gloves, Jakob belatedly realised. The man, however, was. Leila blinked in acknowledgement, then calmly stepped forward to kill her only remaining family member.

Jakob's eyes narrowed. The man's lips quirked in a satisfied smile.

Then the wall exploded.

* * *

><p>N O W<p>

_Panic. Suits, enemies everywhere – __**NOW**__._

"Shit!"

The curse was barely uttered by the mutant when there was another deafening crash from the building he'd just fled from – his backup was taking his request for intervention quite literally, and as a result was drawing quite a bit of attention where he'd prefer none.

_You could have given me some warning! _He mentally seethed. The debris from the wall hadhurt him; he could feel blood soaking into his torn sleeve and trickling down his temple.

_**Et vice versa, you figilio di cane. Keep running.**_

It was a disaster. He'd ended up having to flee from his cousin rather than flee with her – then at the first sign of armed authorities that red-skinned teleporter had appeared in a puff of smoke and

whisked her away along with the other mutants.

Not only did that leave him in quite a bit of trouble with the police, but it appeared that more shady characters had decided to drop by.

The two men after him weren't wearing suits and they weren't carrying guns. Personally, they worried Jakob more than the police did... and Durga had oh-so-thoughtfully let them slip past her.

_**If they're that scary, turn 'em into fluffy kittens or something.**_

_No way. I don't know what powers they have. You can send them out a window._

_**Sorry, amico, but I'm busy deflecting bullets here – ooh, big jump ahead!**_

He landed on the opposite roof, stumbled, righted himself and kept running. Jakob clutched his bleeding arm and grimaced in pain as well as chagrin; he didn't need to glance back to know that his momentary misstep had cost him a significant amount of ground.

To his closing pursuers, the whole structure seemed to shudder; they ignored this, however, clearing the gap between rooftops in simultaneous ease as Jakob breathlessly yanked open the door to the stairwell and sprang out of sight. His pursuers followed, panting with a mixture of exhilaration and exertion from the high-speed chase. One, gritting his teeth grimly, raised a hand to his temple –

_Damn it strangers why are they chasing me __**INTRUDER **__**GET OUT**__ –_

The man grunted and pulled his hand away, as the consciousness he'd tried to touch suddenly became nothing more but harsh, impenetrable static. He called out, but Jakob was too focused on fleeing to heed his words. The roof shuddered beneath the mutants' feet, the stairs groaning; as they reached the lower floor Jakob sprinted to the far corner, evidently heading for the next set of stairs.

His breathing was loud and ragged – he, too, was feeling the strain of pursuit. Another sudden crash, loud and near, caused debris ( and most of the piping from the ceiling ) to fall in the way of the pursuers.

_Nice timing._

_**Uh-huh. Don't say I never do anything for you – oh, never mind. They're still coming.**_

Jakob glanced back; one of the men slowed, swearing under his breath, but the other impatiently flicked a hand mid-sprint, clearing their way as fast as it was being blocked.

_Shit._

_**Yeah – wait, hold on, you're...**_

Durga's voice fizzled out. Jakob frowned, but didn't waste time wondering what had happened. He had his priorities; like escaping, for example.

* * *

><p>There were gunshots – too close to pinpoint the exact direction – which were abruptly cut off by yet another crash. The lights flickered, as did the static surrounding Jakob's mind; the man narrowed his eyes, his hand returning to his temple as it ebbed briefly, giving him the opportunity he needed to make contact.<p>

He could see Jakob grabbing the banister, starting to swing down to the next floor -

_priorities, he had priorities. Escape first, ask questions later; after the last altercation he hardly needed a chat with two potentially homicidal mutants. Besides, he had -_

The pursuer seized his chance at the exact same time as his friend, with another flourish, raised a gun from its place on the ground by its dead owner and took aim –

**Be calm, Jakob**.

_- shock fear slowing limbs what's happeni- __**COME BACK CAN'T R-**__ not supposed to be possi-_

_Blinding pain blackness._

* * *

><p>" There was no need for that, Erik. " The man's voice was deceptively mild, and he rubbed the back of his head absently. Erik snorted, let the gun clatter to the ground, then strode down the steps to crouch by the unconscious mutant.<p>

" He was getting away, Charles. Would you have preferred if I'd shot him instead? "

Charles sighed and went down to support Jakob's other side, as Erik slung one arm over his shoulders dismissively and rose.

" Hold your fire! We've got him! " Charles called out – perhaps unnecessarily, seeing as there no longer seemed to be any humans left conscious and/or in possession of a firearm - then added in a quieter voice, " Jakob didn't know our intentions. He was injured from another mutant showdown mere minutes ago. "

" There were other mutants here? " Erik quirked a brow.

Charles hesitated, before admitting,

"... familiar ones. Still, they're long gone now. "

Brooding silence was the only response, followed by a newly appraising glance at Jakob.

The telepath went on to hastily add,

" I don't know what they wanted, but it probably wasn't good. It's unsurprising that after such an encounter Jakob didn't want to take any chances with us, but I still think that he might have come quietly - if you'd given me the chance to talk to him. "

Erik smirked slightly and started down the steps. " He'll definitely be quiet now. "

Charles gave him a look as he kept pace. " Erik. "

" Wha -" The other man didn't get to finish his mischievous denial; a low, bloodcurdling snarl from behind cut him off. Both men turned their heads slowly, without dropping their unconscious charge. Both pairs of eyes widened.

" What is - "

" I don't know – put that thing down. We don't want to aggravate it. "

As Erik reluctantly let the gun fall back to the floor again, the source of the snarl came into view. It was - at face value, at least - a dog standing at the top of the stairs. A Black Labrador Dog, to be precise, with a Service-Dog's yellow jacket. But there was something very off about it...

Those eyes…

Charles slowly brought his hand up, touched a finger to his temple.

" It's a dog? " Erik sounded slightly skeptical of his own statement, making it more of a question as he glanced at his friend for confirmation. Charles shook his head slightly.

" It's not... It's... blocking me. I can't get a read on it - this is very peculiar. "

Its bicoloured gaze – one yellow, one blue – flickered between them with startlingly human wariness before settling on Jakob once again. The dog shuffled, curled up its lip and growled quietly... exasperatedly?

Erik exhaled and flicked his free wrist.

"If it's peculiar, it's coming with us. "

Before Charles - or the dog - could protest, cabling snapped off from above and plunged down. It wrapped around the canine's collar to form a leash, then promptly started dragging it down the stairs.

The dog yelped in surprise and snarled again, loud and threatening with a flash of teeth, but scrambled down the stairs hastily to avoid being pulled off its feet and choked.

The dysfunctional group skirted around clusters of suspicious locals; interestingly the dog stilled upon seeing them, behaving impeccably...

Until they reached the quiet side street where their car was parked, anyway.

* * *

><p>Charles gently strapped the unconscious mutant in – still only static from that mind; how did that work? - then glanced back. The sight made his lips quirk in a wary grin.<p>

" Erik. Are you sure that's a good idea? "

" Would you rather have it loose in the back? " Came the German's retort as he curtly opened the boot for their unexpected plus-one.

" The boot is small. The dog is not. Could this not be classified as animal cruelty? "

The Labrador seemed to agree; it stood and stared sullenly at Erik, occasionally casting dark glances at the vehicle.

" Unless you can give it a mind tranquilliser, you can be quiet and help me. "

Charles sighed and started over.

"Erik, I don't think - !"

Suddenly he was airborne. Wincing as his back struck the tarmac and effectively knocked the breath out of him, Charles noted absently that the car had jolted forwards as though something had given it a sharp shove from behind. Erik was also on his back several feet away – the Labrador stood between them, regarding them both with mild contempt.

The two mutants exchanged a look of mutual _what the Hell_ before slowly, simultaneously rising to their feet.

" You all right? "

" Yeah. You? "

They eyed the black dog, who eyed them back.

Suddenly the small snippets of Jakob's mind made sense. He'd had an ally. Someone like him.

" You're a mutant. Aren't you? You were the one causing mini earthquakes inside that building. "

The Labrador growled softly and glanced at the car.

" Yes, we know he's a mutant too. We're here to hel - ah! " Charles winced, raising a hand to his head. Erik cast him a concerned look.

_**Looks more like abduction to me.**_

" What's going on? " He barely heard his friend's query; a mind was slowly uncoiling before him,a serpent rising out of the sands.

A slit, a crack; the smallest of threads connected their minds, a cautious offer at communication. So this was why he'd had such difficulties touching Jakob's mind; she had been attempting to shield him. Charles didn't dare try to pry further than invited and, as a result, only gained access to the surface thoughts she projected at him.

**I know, I apologize. I tried to explain our intentions, but he was running away -**

_**So your friend threw a gun at him. I saw.**_

_A memory; a flash of panic and desperate anger that merged into wariness and uncertainty – there were __others__, and they had __power__ - the briefest of images - him and Erik on the stairs, Jakob slung between them; the malignant fear of being jolted and dragged down the stairs_ - Charles winced in sympathy.

**Sorry.**

The dog curled up its lip.

_**I don't like your friend.**_

" What's going on? " Erik repeated, more pressingly.

**You were blocking me, weren't you? I felt – heard – you in his mind.**

_**Yes... Now, you better have a damn good explanation for all this. I'm taking a risk here just talking to you when by all means I should be smashing your heads into the sidewalk.**_

Scrunching his nose in concentration, Charles sent back some memories of his own; flashes of the facility, of recruiting other mutants to work for the CIA as part of a special division. The honest endeavor to prove their intentions seemed to be accepted; the dog relaxed slightly. A slow tendril of wonder merged with curiosity; _**who are you?**_

**Charles Xavior, geneticist and mutant; and friend, if you want. I'd like you to come with us.**

_**And if I don't?**_

**Then that's your choice. I'll leave your friend in your care and you'll never hear from us again. Promise.**

_**...**__ Uncertainty, a flicker of defiance, then resolute calm. This was the best option; it wouldn't be just the two of them any more. No more -_

_**I'll come.**_

" Charles? Charles!" The telepath blinked, then remembered that Erik had been asking him something.

" What? Oh. She doesn't like you. " Charles responded absently. Erik didn't look impressed, but ignored the comment nonetheless in favour of more serious matters.

" Is she coming or what? "

Charles inclined his head in acknowledgment. He met the dog's gaze and smiled gently. " She's coming. "

**Thank you.**

_**Tell your friend if he attempts to stuff me in a car boot again, I'll bite him.  
><strong>_  
>The telepath's lips twitched at the half-serious threat. Such an enigma... what was her story?<p>

**Oh, I'm sure there's room for you in the back. Seeing as I've introduced myself, may I have the pleasure -**

_**Durga. I am Durga.**_

**' Unapproachable '? Greek mythology?**

**Molto bene**_**. Have a gold star.**_

_Amusement at his knowledge, yet at the same time highly aware of his careful probing; she'd never had anyone else in her head like this and was still unconvinced of his integrity -_

**I'll keep my hands to myself,**he assured her with a smile.

_**Make sure that you do. **_

As Charles opened the passenger door for her to jump in, Durga maintained the narrow connection; despite her guarded manner, apparently she was as thirsty for conversation as he was. Erik rolled his eyes but said nothing, sliding in on the front seat and regarding Durga through newly appraising eyes. Durga pointedly ignored him.

Charles briefly wondered what was going through his friend's mind, but then a new thought occurred to him that he shared with the Black Labrador.

**What exactly is your mutation, Durga?**

_A flash of memory; the sensation of energy prickling her fur, then the satisfaction of release; a miniature shockwave sending Erik flying -_

_**Telekinetic; 'push' manipulation, if you will. I can deflect objects, deflect people... the latter's a bit more fun than it probably should be, but it makes for good self-defense all the same. I can shield minds, too, as you've seen, as long as the individual isn't an idiot that strays out of range.**_

_Her best defense; no one could hurt her... not for lack of trying, though -_

**Don't dwell on bad experiences, Durga. They just didn't understand.**

_**They never do.  
><strong>_

Sensing the subtle tide of bitterness and resentment and fearing a volatile response if he attempted to investigate such emotions, Charles decided to change the subject to something lighter.

**Why are you a dog, if you don't mind me asking? **

_**Jakob's power. He can change the forms of others… communicate with them; it was his superb idea of keeping a low profile. **_

Ouch. Heavy sarcasm there.

**Are you -**

_**Stuck like this? Until he changes me back, yes. **_

_She didn't mind; it wasn't so bad. The heightened senses, the feeling of being invisible to human eyes - a mere dog, not worth noticing, not a threat - it was just a bit frustrating at times being unable to speak, being unable to -_

Oh. There was slight static, a hastily repressed memory, then a flash of something of... a more intimate nature. Charles felt his cheeks heat up; the Labrador smirked at him.

**I'm so sorry, I didn't mean -**

_**I know. Be careful where you pry, telepath. You might not like what you see.**_

Well. Um. Yes. He had been prying, just a bit, but he certainly hadn't been expecting to see that. Those memories were usually kept deeper down, wrapped in a more precious field of emotion...

**So, you and Jakob - ?**

Another ripple of amusement, tainted with bitter irony. There was something off -

_**Your friend is trying to get your attention. **_

**Ah.**

_**We'll talk later. Preferably when I'm not a dog.**_

Just like that, her mind was untouchable to him again, a slab of impenetrable stone. It was as if there was only two people in the car.

* * *

><p>" I see Erik's got himself a new pet. " Agent MacTaggert rose an eyebrow as Charles approached supporting a still-unconscious Jakob. The German opened the back door with a twitch of his finger and then moved to help his friend, casting only a brief glance at the Labrador padding at his heels before continuing on.<p>

" It's a long story. Don't touch her. " Charles cautioned at the same time as Erik bluntly explained, " She's a mutant. "

"... okay. One's unconscious, the other's a dog. I hope neither condition is permanent. "

Both mutants shook their heads.

" Her name is Durga. She's Jakob's... friend? " Charles glanced at the dog for confirmation. The Labrador snorted as if to say, ' not really, but close enough '.  
>" They've known each other for years. The reason I didn't sense Durga is because of her mutation; it can block my telepathy. I expect it can block Shaw's telepath, too; certainly she seemed to catch them by surprise, anyway - "<br>" Wait, what? You ran into Shaw? "

Erik was stiff and silent beside him as Charles explained that they'd just missed the other mutants.  
>" I don't know what they wanted with Jakob and Durga's not inclined to enlighten us until he wakes up. Can you get that door? Thanks. "<p>

Moira shakily opened the door for the little procession. Durga the Labrador gave her leg a cursory sniff as she passed, tail held high and alert; the agent winced as something similar to a static shock jolted in her limb, but no one else seemed to notice.

" With Durga's permission, I can read Jakob's mind when he's ready to talk to us; which, I expect, will be pushed forward until morning at least. He really did hit his head quite hard. " Charles gave Erik a meaningful glance at that, which was ignored by the German. Durga rumbled in accusing agreement at his other side. Charles' eyes flickered down to her.

" Will you be all right to spend the night in that form? " A pause. " Okay then, if you're sure. "

Mental chats. Never quite as fun to observe. Thankfully the telepath clued his friends in by explaining, " Durga will be staying with Jakob tonight, which sorts out sleeping arrangements. She'd prefer to leave introductions until tomorrow, so Raven and the others will have to wait to say hello. "

" Fair enough. " Was Erik's only response as they neared what would be the new recruits' overnight room. Moira didn't have much to add, either – as usual, Charles answered several questions in a couple of sentences – so instead she tentatively turned to smile down at Durga.

" Welcome to the CIA, Durga. "

The Labrador huffed and wagged her tail.

* * *

><p><span>"Augh..."<span>

His body felt unnaturally heavy, his eyes refused to open. And the back of his skull fucking ached, as though someone had hit him with a hammer or something equally brutal.

His mind felt slow, sluggish; a fluffy fog of detachment and unconcern had settled on his consciousness.

Disorientation had a party in his brain for a while, before reluctantly receding so that he could analyse his current condition.

His body, he discovered, was covered with a snug duvet. His limbs were unshackled.

Knocked out, in a strange place, yet unrestrained.

There was a definite significance in these three facts, but it took a frustratingly long period of time for him to figure it out.

…hospital?

Where was -

"Jakob? Can you hear me?"

The young man cracked open an eye; a slit of dark brown, usually so sharp and alert, was now dull and unfocused. His tangled, tousled mess of hair shielded the majority of his face from view. He was lean, clearly no older than mid-twenties; overall, he could have been considered good looking if it were not for the crooked nose and ill-tempered scowl creasing his forehead.

A contrast to the man at his bedside. Early thirties, lighter, tidier brown hair, emphatic blue eyes and an earnest face. The overall appearance was smartened by the shirt, jacket and trousers; not a Suit, but still someone of authority… someone to be wary of.

A nose pushed against his face. Durga's bi-coloured eyes gleamed with relief in a canine face, along with a silent, furious demand – _**turn me back **__**now**__**.**_

Jakob mumbled something incoherent, almost under his breath, and opened his other eye.

Ignoring the stranger for now and relying on the brief communication via with his ally – _is he safe?_ _**Yes, you shithead. Turn me BACK**__.- _Jakob inched his hand out from under the covers, and reluctantly touched Durga's head.

_You know the terms._

_**I know. Moron.**_

She morphed back into her true self, instantly severing the connection. It had been a while since he'd seen her like this; lean like him but with feminine curves, with chin-length dark brown hair. Sharp, attentive features, smooth, pale skin.

Though they couldn't be seen under the jacket, Jakob knew there were dark, tigerish stripes adorning her body.

The stranger sucked in a breath, but looked impressed rather than afraid. Durga pushed stray hairs back off her face and smiled - rather forcedly - at him.

" Hey. "

Well, if Durga was wasting time being quietly angry with him then everything must be all right. Jakob's eyes moved their attention to the stranger once more; the stranger was watching him, an eyebrow lifted in query.

"May I?" The stranger asked Durga. Durga inclined her head; what was she doing? What was she agreeing -

**Hello, Jakob. Sorry about earlier; my friend was a bit too keen on getting you to stop running. **

Jakob's eyes was that voice. _**You - !**_

**Yes. Sorry again. You have a mild concussion, which will be why you might be feeling a bit out of sorts. You took quite a blow to the head.**

Well, that explained his headache and general wooziness.

Jakob eyed the man with new suspicion; he'd known about telepaths and used Durga as protection against any possible encounters, but he'd never actually had one in his head until today.

This one looked benevolent and exceptionally apologetic - at the latter thought, the telepath's lips quirked slightly.

**I don't mean you any harm, Jakob. I'd just like to talk to you, as I talked to Durga. After that, it's up to you whether you'd like to leave or stay, though you'll have to wait until that concussion wears off completely before you can act on your decision.**

_**Stay?... Where am I? What do you want?**_

_Durga was here and was letting the telepath into his head, which meant that it couldn't be bad – speaking of which, how had he got inside in the first place? Durga was supposed to be shielding -_

" To help. " This time the man spoke aloud; his voice was just as serene and sincere as it had been in Jakob's mind.

Durga shifted slightly; a glance at her conveyed that his mental barrier was to be restored..

" Then you can communicate with me verbally and stay out of my head. " It felt better to be back in control, though Jakob made a note to reprimand Durga for making such a slip - without even conferring with him first - later.

The telepath's gaze was curious and slightly assessing, but he didn't comment on what he'd heard. Instead, he politely withdrew; Jakob felt the soft sensation of Durga's shield resetting itself. It was unnerving to think he hadn't noticed it being removed in the first place.

" All right. Let me introduce myself first. I am Professor Charles Xavior... "

* * *

><p>Approximately half an hour later, Jakob was slowly picking at the food Durga had brought him. It annoyed - and unsettled - him that Durga had been able to roam the complex alone, had been able to <span>converse<span> with other people alone.

While previously she'd had no choice but to aid Jakob, now she had a roof over her head, allies, a job... he was highly conscious of impending betrayal.

If he decided to leave, he had the nasty feeling that Durga would resist him; and after all these years of honing her skills, Jakob really didn't want to have to instigate a fight. If he chose to stay, then he risked losing his influence over her as well as wasting precious time.

Jakob couldn't afford to waste time. He needed to find Leila. So deep in thought was he, Jakob nearly missed Durga's bored rundown.

" So they have six other mutants here, not including Charles and, " she hesitated only slightly, causing Jakob to look up - was that a slight clenching of her jaw he'd just witnessed? " Erik. Apparently we're to be part of the CIA's newest division. Mutant agents." She curled her lip up slightly at this, which Jakob took as a good sign.

If she wasn't being charmed by the set-up, perhaps there was still hope that she'd stick with him. Although... as part of the government, the CIA would have files. Access to scientists, medicines – perhaps even that man.

Durga reclaimed his attention by pushing at his shoulder roughly. " Oi. Seeing as you're busy staring into space, I'm heading off to the lounge to meet the fellow freaks. "

Aw. She was miffed that he'd been ignoring her. Jakob smirked slightly, snaked an arm around her waist before she could pull away and drew her close. Ignoring her stiffness and deliberately avoiding skin-on-skin contact he breathed into her ear. " Don't be rude, Dylan. " She hated when he used her real name; he could feel her energy buzzing angrily underneath her jacket, threatening to throw his arm off.

" You know I'm your only ally here. Your only way out if the suits decide to turn on you. Wouldn't want to lose that, now would you? " It was a bit desperate of him, but it seemed to work. Durga made a low noise in her throat that sounded like a growl, but she didn't push him away. She didn't dare ( or was it that she simply didn't feel fazed by their proximity any more? ). Releasing his hold, he gestured for her to leave.

" Go on, then. Go scope out our 'comrades'; and come back when you're done. I'll want to know if any of them have useful...talents. "

Just as she turned to leave, however, another thought occurred to him.

" Oh, yes. To make sure you don't get any ideas about having a heart-to-heart with anyone, " he flicked his wrist casually. With a yelp, Durga became the Labrador he so preferred. The most loyal and friendly of breeds... it was irony, if nothing else, but it made Jakob feel better.

Durga the dog was far less likely to abandon him than Durga the girl.

" Make sure you come back, or else you'll be spending the night like that. I'll miss you. " He blew her a kiss ( was that going a bit far? ). Durga merely stared at him coldly, then padded from the room. Yeah, he'd gone a bit far.

_Sorry, Dylan... I know I need you more than you need me. But just you wait; when we get Leila back, we'll live in the countryside just as you wanted. We'll – ow._

He massaged his temples, grimacing. Later. He'd plan later. For now, he'd have to sit still, rest his head and pray that Durga came back with helpful information.

* * *

><p>They were all relaxing, lounging on the sofas, when Raven spoke up.<p>

" We're agents now, we should have codenames. I wanna be called Mystique. "

" Damn, I wanted to be called Mystique! " The curly-haired boy - Sean - joked from his armchair. In response, Raven morphed into an exact clone of him and waggled her eyebrows. " Too bad! Besides, I'm way more mysterious than you. "

Sean jumped slightly at the sight, then joined in the amazed applause as Raven smoothly morphed back.

" What about you? " She asked Sean. The boy considered. " I wanna be called...Banshee. " His lips quirked up.

" Why do you want to be named after a wailing spirit? " Hank queried warily. Sean stood up, smirking.

" You may wanna cover your ears. " Sean smugly aimed for the glasses on the table, but missed; his shriek shattered the large-paned window instead. His audience laughed.

Durga shifted slightly from her spot on the floor; as a Service Dog it had been easy enough to infiltrate the room, as apart from a few fond exclamations and some pats she had been left well enough alone (there had been a tense moment where the mutants had wondered where her 'owner' was, but they'd since become distracted, with, well... this ).

With a dog's sensitive hearing, however, the latest display was quite uncomfortable. She shook her head to rid the sound from her ears and grumbled quietly to herself. The blonde boy - Alex - noticed, and commented on it.

" Hey, I don't think the dog likes your power, ' Banshee '. Look. "

" Dogs have more sensitive hearing than humans, " The bespectacled mutant - Hank - exclaimed awkwardly. " While fine for us, your pitch would be quite uncomfortably loud for her ears. Painful, even. "

Sean grinned apologetically. " Sorry, doggie. " He moved over to stroke Durga's head ( why do people always think stroking an animal after irritating it is a good idea? ), then slide down her back in what he probably thought was a soothing motion.

Durga's lips twitched in a slight grimace, but she forced herself to stay still. Unaware of this degrading interaction, Raven directed the question at the other girl in the room.

" What about you? "

The girl stood, removing her jacket as she did so, " My stage name is Angel... and it kind of fits, " she revealed her wings as she spoke. The others gasped in admiration. Sean whistled.

" You can fly? " Raven was impressed. Angel nodded with a sly smile.

" Uh huh, and... " Turning, she spat an acidic ball at the statue outside. Everyone laughed at that one; Durga felt the vibrations from Sean's chuckles and, taking advantage of his distracted state, directed a small shard of energy up his hand. He pulled away with a slight yelp of surprise; instantly, everyone turned to look at him.

Durga wagged her tail, the picture of innocence. Sean frowned, then shrugged.

" Static shock? " Hank suggested. Sean nodded and seemed to accept this, rubbing his upper arm. Still, he didn't stroke Durga again and quickly returned to his old seat. Raven's lips twitched amusedly. " Darwin, what's your name? " Fortunately, Raven seemed to be dead set on questioning everyone, while Durga the dog was still being overlooked.

" Well, Darwin's already a name, and it fits; ' adapt to survive ' and all... check this out. " Walking jauntily over to the fish tank, Darwin dunked his head underwater; as gills grew on the side of his face, allowing him to breathe, there was more applause, and Durga thumped her tail appreciatively. That was pretty cool, she had to admit – and practical.

" Thank you! " He jokingly told his audience, then indicated Hank to go next as he went to sit back down. " What about you? "~

" How about Bigfoot? " Alex piped up before Hank could reply. Hank looked uncomfortable; Raven quickly darted to his defense. " well you know what they say about guys with big feet, and, " She glanced down at Alex's shoes, " yours are kind of small... " She trailed off deliberately.

The others chuckled; Durga snorted and wagged her tail in approval, despite herself. She kind of liked Raven; the mutant was witty, friendly and, apparently, also quick to rise to the defense of her friends.

" What's your gift then, Alex? " Darwin queried. Alex abruptly looked uncomfortable himself.

"... I can't. I can't do it in here. " He said quietly. _**Ah. Here we go. **_Durga licked her lips in anticipation.

" Could you do it outside? " Darwin persisted. " Come on! Alex! Alex! " The others joined in ( apart from Durga, of course, who watched intently through canine eyes ) and finally Alex relented, standing up and stepping over the window's low ledge.

" Get back when I tell you, " He warned, readying himself. Everyone had followed him to the window par Durga the dog, who was content to watch from her ( safer ) spot on the floor.

" Get back!" Alex snapped at them. They obeyed; then immediately leaned back out simultaneously.

" Whatever... " he rocked his body; blades of bright red energy swirled around him and then were released, slicing the statue at its torso and generally damaging the surrounding area of the courtyard. Durga's eyes widened and her hackles rose. That power... that was dangerous. She could feelthe intensity of the energy from here.

After applauding appreciatively at Alex's deadly display , the company finally turned their attention back to the dog.

" Woah! That dog looks freaked, " Darwin looked slightly concerned. " I'm not going to calm it down this time; I don't want another static shock - " Sean stopped suddenly. A similar realisation dawned on everyone else's faces a second later.

" Are... are you a mutant? Is that a mutant? "

It was incredibly unsettling, having so many pairs of eyes staring at her with intent curiosity. Durga hesitated; she had two choices... Jakob hadn't set any specific rule against people finding out what she was...

It could continue to be difficult, or it could be very, very simple. Durga had always been one for simplicity, but...

Just as she was deciding how to react, there was a gasp from outside.

" What happened here? "

The mutants looked out; each of their faces adopted a certain degree of guilt upon seeing Agent MacTaggert surveying the damage done with mild horror, accompanied by a decidedly not-happy Charles and an ambivalent Erik.

_**Busted. **_Durga stiffened slightly, contemplating whether or not to slink out of the room.

Finally, Agent Mactaggert spoke. " Who destroyed the statue? "

" It was Alex, " Hank spoke up, a little too quickly.

Raven tried to ease the tension by - a little too cheerfully - informing Charles and Erik about their ideas for nicknames. " We have to call him Havok. That's his name now. And we were thinking you, " she pointed to Charles, " should be Professor X, and you, " pointing to Erik, " should be Magneto. "

There was an awkward pause.

" Exceptional, " Erik stated with quiet sarcasm. Then his gaze alighted on Durga.

" Still acting the faithful pet, I see, Durga. " Charles frowned slightly; he'd seen her too. _**Crap. **_Once again, Durga found herself the center of attention; and once again, it was awkward as Hell.

" Erik, " Charles started warningly, but it was too late.

" She IS a mutant? Why was she pretending to be a dog? " Angel looked at Durga sceptically. Sean looked faintly horrified at the realisation that he'd been stroking a fellow mutant ( and that his 'static shock ' had definitely notbeen an accident ).

" Perhaps, " Erik stated with deliberation, regarding Durga evaluatively, " she prefers being a pet to a real person. "

...Oh, no he didn't.

The Labrador let out a grisly snarl of outrage, leapt to her feet and – a pulse emitted from her frame.

_**...merda.**_

Instantly, the couch next to her was forced violently sideways into the opposite wall. The table cracked; all the glasses atop it shattered. Durga licked her lips, uncertain and embarrassed by the loss of control. _**  
><strong>_  
>Stunned silence.<p>

" Why the undercover act? " Raven finally spoke up, voicing the thought of the entire group. MacTaggert and Charles looked uneasy; Erik merely observed with quiet interest,

Durga growled at them defiantly, then stalked off with as much dignity as she could muster.

_**Cazzo, Jakob. I'm not living like this any more.**_

* * *

><p>Half an hour later - and, thankfully, in her own form, after making her report - Durga sat on the floor of her room. ( Hah. Her room. She had no more claim to it than a customer had claim to an overnight hotel room. ) She wanted to make the best of her time without Jakob breathing down her neck, but of course the bastard had found a way to ruin that for her within minutes.<p>

There was no way she was talking to Raven or any of the other mutants tonight; the mere idea of it was squirmingly awkward. Unfortunately, this decision meant that she was couldn't risk going out.

Which meant that she was confined to her room.

Durga wanted to thump her head against the wall in frustration.

She'd known it was a bad idea, of course. But what made it worse was that compared to her... these mutants were just young people with party tricks. They had no real control, no skill. They had no real motivation to fight; she doubted any of them had ever fought with their gifts at all ( well, consciously, at least).

In contrast, Durga was a weapon. She'd killed dozens of times. Her mutation was an extension of her, a form of self-defense. She'd never considered it as something to play with or showcase.

_**To them, other mutants are allies. To them, powers are fun. How naïve.**_

No more hiding? As if. She didn't fit in here any more than she'd fitted in with the humans.

Durga... the unapproachable one.

A knock at the door.

Durga stiffened slightly - whoever was knocking, it wasn't Jakob. He never bothered to knock.

" Who is it? " Her voice was wary.

" It's me. " A small pause ( but she knew who it was and now wondered why the Hell he was pushing his luck and approaching her at all ), " Erik. "

"... Go away. " ( It hadn't sounded quite as petulant in her head, but oh well. )

There was another brief pause. He wasn't going away.

" If I have to make you go away it will be with the door; and then I'll be even more annoyed because I'll have no door. "

A wry laugh. " I doubt it would go down quite like that. You've shown me yours, but I don't think I got to show you mine. "

_**What, apart from the gun-throwing and cable-choking stunts?**_

" You know, that sounds like an innuend - " She broke off as the key to the door rose from its place on the desk and floated over to the door, slid into the keyhole, then unlocked it. The door swung open; Erik stood on the other side, hands at his side, head tilted slightly, lips quirked.

...Now, that was just showing off.

" Can I come in? "

Durga narrowed her eyes and his innocent request, then nodded curtly. He stepped across the threshold; the door clicked shut behind him. The key hovered by her hand; Durga cautiously took it, then raised an eyebrow, expectant.

" I see the pet comment struck a nerve earlier. "

Durga just looked at him witheringly. He got to the point. " Why do you do it? "

Commence evasive verbal manoeuvres.

" You're going to have to be a tad more specific, there. "

" Then let me clarify. Why do you skulk around in dog form whenever your friend Jakob isn't present? " Ouch. Very specific. Durga pursed her lips, thinking.

" I don't skulk. "

" You're avoiding the question. " He shot at her.

" Yes, I am, " She agreed flatly. " For a very good reason – it's none of your fucking business. "  
>Hm. She seemed to be swearing quite a bit of late. Erik's brow crinkled slightly at that; then, abruptly, the poker-face returned.<p>

" You were snooping. " Durga shrugged calmly. If he wanted to come to his own conclusions, that was fine by her, but she sensed that he was beating around the bush.

" And you're not really interested in my canine fetish, so why don't we just skip the foreplay and knuckle down to the real reason you're bothering me? "

"Fine. " Came the blunt response. " Who are you working for? "

Durga's brow knit together in confusion.

" Isn't that obv - " Oh. She didn't like the suspicious look in his eyes.

" Jakob. The whole dog guise is so to ensure I don't ditch him; what, you think I go around as a slavering canine willingly? "

" And what is Jakob's connection with Shaw? " Erik's voice had taken on a silky, dangerous tone that made Durga feel very uneasy.

The man had the wrong end of the stick; he was barking up the wrong tree completely. He was - enough with the pathetic dog-related puns. She needed to set him straight, and fast.

" Um. " Very convincing, Durga, she thought to herself sarcastically. He'll definitely believe you now.

" Tell me the truth. " He was getting closer, she belatedly realised; and her key was starting to change shape, twisting around her fingers and squeezing lightly. Durga glanced down, then narrowed her eyes.

" No. "

The German paused, as if not quite sure he'd heard her correctly.  
>"...no? " He repeated quietly.<p>

" Jakob didn't elaborate to your telepath friend because he didn't want the CIA involved; and the reason he doesn't want CIA involved is because it's personal. The more people who know, the more dangerous it will be and the less chance Jakob will have of coming out alive. "

Not that she cared about Jakob's well-being, of course. Because she didn't. At all.

Yeah.

His lips twitched slightly. " I'm not CIA. "

" Hah. Nice try, but no. " Another pause. Then:

" What about you, then? Where do you fit in with this dangerous, personal mission of your friend's?" Erik coolly pointed out. Durga smirked without humor.

" If you don't quit the whole interrogator act, I'm going to send you through the door. " A pulse, gentle yet threatening, compelled the other mutant to shift a foot back to avoid losing his balance. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that a threat? " Still, he was obliging enough to halt – perhaps picking up that despite her refusal to tell him the truth about Jakob, everything she had deemed acceptable to disclose had been honest enough.

Durga pinched the bridge of her nose with and sighed.

" Don't you have a plane to catch? "

_**CALL OFF YOUR METAL-MANIPULATING FRIEND BEFORE I HURL HIM THROUGH SOMETHING SOLID.**_

" Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on what you can tell me about Shaw. "

" Psychopathic mutant who likes to wear white and kill people. " Durga spouted off with a straight face. Erik just gave her a look.

" That's founded firmly from secondhand sources. I'm just backup; I've only glimpsed him a couple of times in between wall-smashing and general intervention to save Jakob's ass. If you're fishing for weaknesses or locations or any of that relevant, personal stuff, you're out of luck. "

**Durga? **The telepath's voice was alarmed; her projection had overwhelmed him. **Where are you? What's going on?**

_**Erik. In my room. Asking questions. Patience is waning on both sides. **_Durga sent a flash of two-second-old memory for confirmation. Charles' response was a mixture of relief, concern and worry.

**I'll be right there.**

" You're lying. "

" Yeah, I am. The good Professor and his CIA girlfriend filled me in earlier. Shaw's the big threat that we're being assembled to defeat so that the humans don't have to get their hands dirty; but that's not why you've invested such an interest, is it? "

Erik was watching her closely. Then – _**thank the Lord - **_there was a knock on the door.

" Erik? Our plane is waiting. We've got to go. "

" I thought I told you to keep out of my head, Charles, " Erik glanced suspiciously at Durga as he said this; the unspoken _did you do that telepathy thing to get me to leave_accusation hung in the air. Durga stayed completely poker-faced.

" Sorry, but I couldn't find you. " The door opened; a slightly flushed Charles appeared. " Come on, or we'll be late. "

" This isn't over, " Erik warned Durga calmly as he strode from the room. Charles gave her one last look before following his friend.

**You're going to have to explain properly when I get back. **He seemed mildly surprised that her mind was still communicable.

_**Don't be. You're a friend. I make exceptions for friends, **_she told him.

**I'm touched.**

_**You should be. As for the explanation, I'll make a note of it.**_

**Was it about Leila?**

Durga froze.

_**… !**_

**I touched Jakob's mind, Durga. I know all about the long-lost cousin and the vendetta against Shaw.**

…_**Have a nice flight.**_

The connection was hastily cut off.

* * *

><p>Durga - 26 years old. Italian. Telekinetic Pusher ( ' push ' manipulation as she so fondly calls it )<p>

Jakob Harmes - 29 years old. German. Biokinetic ( can alter the forms of other living things within a specific range, though not himself )

Leila - 24 years old. German. Disintegration ( ' kills with a touch '; dramatically increases rate of decomposition in any living thing she touches )


End file.
